Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen

I recently finished Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen and while I found it entertaining it's an easily forgettable escapist novel.

Gruen writes the story of Jacob Jankowski, a simple farm boy from a veterinarian family who leaves Cornell after an unexpected family tragedy and ends up on a Benzini Brothers' Greatest Show on Earth circus train. Once at the circus, he makes friends with a variety of characters: an elephant named Rosie, a midget clown named Kinko, the horse whisperer star of the show Marlena, and her bi-polar husband August.

Ultimately, it's a love story told in flashbacks. But it's not something I'll read again.

It's worth reading for a glimpse into America's circus history.